I’ve worked in project management for the last 7 years for both hardware and software products, and every project has been unique. I have not found one single recipe or methodology that can be deployed on all projects. To be successful as a project manager, one must adapt, choose a well-suited framework, and tailor tools and techniques.

Blend the best approaches

Prior to joining Wizeline, I worked on a number of product development and process improvement projects using a waterfall approach. Waterfall sometimes worked, but there were some inherent risks building up to a single outcome. For example, critical activities like testing and deployment (QA, User Acceptance Testing) are concentrated at the very end of the project.

At Wizeline, we use an agile framework to manage projects that, contrary to common belief, still requires planning. Risk is reduced with agile because teams test quality and functionality during each sprint and iteration.

Wizeline’s self-managed teams also enable project managers to focus on strategy, clear communication, and establishing trust with stakeholders. By blending elements of waterfall with agile, we gauge how each sprint contributes to our long term plan.

Better doesn’t always mean faster

Agile doesn’t always equal faster product development and delivery. Agile requires flexibility and a willingness to adapt to changes that occur throughout the project lifecycle. In order to remain productive, it’s important for project managers and their teams to use a roadmapping tool that organizes changes by release. This is why our teams use our proprietary application Wizeline Roadmap: it has a clean user experience, accommodates quick modifications, and makes it easy to share progress.

Communication is critical

In addition to strategy, flexibility, and roadmapping, it is imperative that project managers practice good communication. Teams and stakeholders must be open with one another and use their roadmap to visualize progress and milestones, export and share, and provide accurate updates for customers.

Screenshot: Wizeline Roadmap is used to easily communicate with the wider team

Project managers often get lost in their daily tasks and forget to share updates. Even small updates take time to communicate, so it’s helpful to use a tool like Wizeline Roadmap. By using Roadmap in daily standups, teams can make live changes, assign/reassign projects, and make notes in the comments section on the side panel.

As former U.S. president Dwight D. Eisenhower used to say, “plans are useless, but planning is indispensable.” At Wizeline, we blend the best practices for agile and waterfall to retain flexibility in our planning. Tools like Wizeline Roadmap help project managers communicate on a daily basis with customers and stakeholders. Frequent transparent communication helps me build a trusting team environment that ultimately helps clients achieve their goals.

Wizeline builds innovative software applications and provides the team, platform and services required for development and delivery. To learn more about Wizeline’s roadmap software, sign upand get started for free.